The Story of Remus and Tonks
by Elyssa Green
Summary: Remus Lupin, the shabby werewolf, the legendary Marauder. Nymphadora Tonks, the talented Auror, the vivacious Metamorphmagus. The love that endured through the war that would take everything from them. Canon fic, from OotP to DH.
1. Seven Floors

Remus was tired.

This of course was nothing unusual, he was always tired. But he felt a new kind of weariness as he walked through the glares of the Ministry employees milling about the Atrium. He supposed he should have gotten used to it by now, but he was ostracized so much more since the incident at Hogwarts. Everyone seemed to know what he was now. Everyone.

Remus sighed, lifting his head up a little higher as he made his way through the golden gates to the lifts. Prejudice had been around since the beginning of humanity, in one form or another; he was no different and should not let this affect him. He just had to focus on why he was here.

As a result of Voldemort's return, Dumbledore had been contacting the old members of the Order of the Phoenix, the ones who were still alive, still willing. But obviously there wouldn't be enough resistance members to successfully oppose the Death Eaters. There weren't even enough members during the first war. So Dumbledore was recruiting. Recruiting anyone who opposed the Ministry's stupidity, anyone who would side with the truth.

That's why he had sent Remus to the Ministry today. The Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt had owled Dumbledore after Fudge's outcry against his claims of Voldemort's return. He believed Dumbledore and had great respect for him, and offered to be of any assistance to him if the need arose. Dumbledore had sent Remus to the Ministry to invite Kingsley to the next Order meeting. Remus had protested going into the Ministry, but Dumbledore couldn't risk owls being intercepted, and this was much more important than Remus's mild qualms about prejudice.

Remus reached the lifts, avoiding the crowd around the lift that had just descended, and waited for the next empty one. When it arrived, he got on quickly and moved to a back corner, where he leaned his head against the wall. He really hadn't gotten much sleep that week. Molly was threatening to lock him into an empty bedroom at Headquarters until the bags under his eyes disappeared he couldn't say that he blamed her. He did look like hell; even Dumbledore–

"Hold it!" a woman's voice shouted. Remus's eyes sprang open and he shot out an arm to stop the closing grille. The owner of the voice, a young woman with short, violet hair and lime green robes (that were decidedly not Ministry regulation) sped into the lift, balancing what seemed like a hundred scrolls and files in her arms. She moved to the opposite corner of the lift as the grille closed.

There was a huge rustle as the witch rearranged her workload, and Remus couldn't help but watch her. She managed to get things moved to a more manageable hold, only dropping three sheets of parchment in the process. She caught him staring and looked over, a dazzling smile on her heart-shaped face.

"Wotcher," she said. Remus nodded in reply.

They were silent for a few more moments, the witch grinning all the while.

Finally she leaned over again. "Thanks for holding the lift for me. Most blokes would've just made me wait. I'm Tonks."

"Remus Lupin."

The elevator's female voice rang out. "Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports."

The witch, Tonks, eyed Remus. "You getting off?"

He shook his head. She smirked.

"I didn't think so. You don't look like a sports type."

He didn't reply. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't really seem to fit in the Ministry. She looked more like a Weird Sisters groupie than a desk worker, with her strange hair, black choker, combat boots and–was she wearing ripped Muggle jeans under her robes?

"Despite what my appearance and the opinions of my coworkers may suggest, I do work here," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. Remus quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"Forgive me," he said as the voice announced Level Six.

"No problem. Merlin, I always manage to get the slowest lift," she sighed, shifting to lean against the wall. Remus made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat.

"I see I've made you uncomfortable. Let's lighten things up here. What's your favorite color, Remus?"

He let out a surprised laugh. "Do you always chat with the other people in the lift this way?"

"Stop stalling. Answer the question."

"Level Five, Department of International Magical Cooperation."

She didn't look like she was getting off the lift anytime soon, so Remus decided to indulge her. "Fine. Um…blue."

Tonks didn't reply, so Remus turned to look at her. Her hair was now a deep shade of royal blue.

Realizing that she wasn't holding a wand, Remus actually took a step back. "Are you a Metamorphmagus?"

Tonks nodded, still beaming.

"That's incredible. Extremely rare," he said, then internally kicked himself. Of all the dumb comments to make…

"Thanks. I don't use it well. I mostly use it to annoy my mum."

Remus chuckled.

"Level Four."

Tonks leaned her head against the wall. "So what about you? Got any secrets up your sleeve?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh come on, there's got to be something."

"Not particularly."

"Are you good at Quidditch?"

"No."

"Can you sing?"

"No."

"Ever gotten a detention?"

"Yes."

"Finally!" Tonks grinned. "Just once or several times?"

Remus smirked. "More than I care to admit. And I was a prefect."

Tonks gaped. "Wow, Lupin. I never picked you out for a troublemaker. I didn't give you enough credit."

"Were you a troublemaker?" Remus was getting pulled into this conversation, and he didn't know how. This punk witch was getting him, a stuffy old teacher, to chat in a lift. About detentions, of all things.

Tonks laughed lightly. "Of course. I just didn't know how to behave."

"Level Three."

"So what house were you?" she asked.

"Gryffindor."

"Ah, Gryffindor. House of the brave and the reckless."

"What was your house?"

"Hufflepuff." Ah, that explained the smiling and the chatter. "I was Professor Sprout's biggest thorn in her side. House of the sweet and innocent, my butt."

Lupin chuckled.

"Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Remus held the door open for Tonks as she exited. They walked in silence down the hallway to the Auror offices.

They reached a cubicle with a crooked placard reading, "N. Tonks, Auror."

Tonks shot him one last grin. "See you around, Remus."

* * *

**A/N**

I'm planning this to be a full-length, as-canon-as-possible fic. I'm taking my information directly from the books and from the Harry Potter Wikia. Of course, I can't write the characters like JK can, and I'm sure a bit of me will seep into them.

I'm also planning for my writing to get better as the story goes on, so bear with me. I apologize in advance.

If you see any typos or grammatical errors, please tell me. I do my editing myself, but sometimes even my obsessive self misses one or two.

Thanks to anyone who reads. I really appreciate it.


	2. A Soldier, A Spy

Tonks kicked open the door of her apartment, and stepped on a vial of frogspawn.

"Bullocks," she grimaced, and carefully eased the box she was carrying down onto her couch before inspecting the bottom of her shoe, pulling out a couple pieces of broken glass. She sighed.

One day she would not make a complete and utter arse of herself at every turn, but that day was not today.

After she cleaned the puddle of slime off the floor (the Muggle way, she just couldn't get the hang of cleaning spells), she headed into her tiny bedroom to change.

_What does one wear to a secret resistance meeting? _Tonks thought to herself, peering into her crowded closet. Somehow she didn't think her usual wardrobe would make a very good impression on Professor Dumbledore, so she took off her lime robes and vintage tank and replaced them with a plain (if short) black t-shirt. She couldn't really do anything about the jeans. She didn't have a pair that wasn't ripped.

She couldn't say she wasn't surprised when Mad-Eye had approached her with the offer. She was of course surprised that there was a secret Order, but she was even more surprised that they had asked her to join. She was only a year out of the Auror Academy, and definitely lacking in the discipline that a rebel–a soldier–required. But Moody had said that he had recommended her to the Professor because he saw talent in her.

He had also seen the anger she displayed after Fudge had publicly ridiculed Dumbledore, and his news of Voldemort's return. She had been outraged at the cool attitude the Ministry was taking toward this warning of danger, and she had always trusted Dumbledore's judgement, never once doubted him. And why should he? Dumbledore had always been good to her, even when she had gotten enough detentions to warrant a visit to the Headmaster's office.

But those times were gone, and here she was, a certified Auror, being recruited as a soldier, a spy really, for a secret Order put together by Dumbledore to fight the greatest threat wizarding-kind had ever known. It was all so surreal.

"The Order of the Phoenix," Tonks mouthed to her reflection. She ran her fingers through her cropped hair, still the cobalt blue color she had changed it to for that man in the lift.

Remus Lupin, the Gryffindor. She hadn't originally meant to make him so uncomfortable, but he just looked so funny trying to ignore her and be polite at the same time.

She'd keep the color. For now. But she did lengthen it, so she wouldn't seem like a total delinquent.

There came a loud _crack!_ from the hallway, followed by banging as someone began pounding on her front door.

"Bugger off, you nutter, I'm coming!" she shouted as she made her way through her cluttered living room to her door. She flung it open to find Mad-Eye Moody, with his wand pointed to her throat.

"Mad-Eye, I really don't think we have time for this, my neighbors already think I'm crazy. They're Muggles, for Merlin's sake," she hissed. Moody had her taking extra Polyjuice security measures ever since he had gotten out of St. Mungo's.

"Constant vigilance!" he snapped, his blue eye whizzing about. "What were the first words I said to Nymphadora Tonks?"

Tonks rolled her eyes so hard she was afraid they'd get stuck up her skull. "'I thought they were sending me the new trainee, not a purple-haired twit,'" she snapped. "And what was my reply?"

"'And I thought I was seeing the head of the Auror office, not some daft geezer,'" he growled.

Tonks nodded, satisfied. "Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, let's get out of here." She grabbed a pair of black robes from where they were thrown over her record stand, and walked out the door.

By the way they shouted and insulted each other, one wouldn't think that the two could be friends. But in fact, each held mutual respect and affection for one another. Moody had taken her under his wing in Auror training, accepting her as his protégée.

Since she didn't know where Headquarters was, Moody took her by Side-Along Apparition. They materialized in a dingy little square in Muggle London.

Tonks barely had time to look around before Moody was shoving a piece of paper into her hand. "Read it."

"Out loud?"

"No, not out loud, you idiot. In your head."

"Why?"

"Just do it, we don't have all day. We could be being watched."

Tonks studied the address written on the piece of parchment carefully, then looked up in awe as a new building began to appear before her eyes.

"Come on, then," Moody said gruffly, and she walked through the door of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

* * *

Tonks looked around in disgust at the grimy, Dark decor that surrounded them.

"Moody, what in the name of Merlin's saggy left–"

"Keep your voice down!" Moody hissed. "Keep quiet, wait." He ignored Tonks's grimace and led her down the hall, down a flight of narrow stairs, and through a door into a long and low kitchen. There was a huge wooden table pushed up to one side, and about thirty chairs set up, all facing a clear space at the side of the room.

People were milling about and talking to each other. Most of them she had never seen before, but she did recognize a few. There was Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was very highly respected in her office; Arthur Weasley, who worked on her floor, and his son, Bill; and of course, Professor Dumbledore, who was deep in conversation with a short little wizard in a peaked hat. He looked up and saw them, and excusing himself, made his way over.

"Alastor. Nymphadora." He greeted them.

She interrupted before she could stop herself. "It's just Tonks," she said, then flushed.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Of course. I would like to thank you, my dear, for offering your assistance in these dark times."

"I'm very happy to."

"If you wouldn't mind taking your seats, we're just about to begin." He swept away.

Tonks carefully took a seat, concentrating carefully on not tripping over the chair legs, and watched as the others settled in around her. Most of the people around her were much older than her, members from the first war. With a small start, she noticed a group of Hogwarts teachers in the corner. She saw McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid (how did she miss Hagrid?), and–

_Snape._ Tonks's lip curled. Somehow she expected him to be on the other side of this fight, in a mask.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the chatter quieted.

"This is the first official meeting of the second Order of the Phoenix. I would like to firstly welcome you all here to Headquarters. I know these are not ideal living conditions for anyone, but Molly Weasley is graciously taking charge of necessary clean-up. I would like to use this meeting to introduce to you the new members that have joined us in our cause, and to announce the primary assignments that the Order will have to take rotational shifts on. I know that–" Dumbledore broke off as the kitchen door opened, and everyone turned around to see the newcomer.

To Tonks's surprise, Remus Lupin walked through the door, shutting it behind him. He had switched out his shabby robes for a collared shirt and jumper, and it made him look younger, somehow. His eyes moved over the assembled people, and widened in apparent, if muted, shock when he saw her. She responded by flashing him a blue-lashed wink, which he ignored. He looked forward and inclined his head to Dumbledore, who nodded in response.

Dumbledore resumed speaking, but with a guarded air. "But first, there is news that must be brought to light. I ask you all for your trust, your acceptance, and your secrecy. In the face of such adversity, we must all learn to put the past behind us.

"I'm sure all of you know the history behind Voldemort's downfall. How James and Lily Potter went into hiding under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, choosing their friend Sirius Black as their Secret-Keeper. How after his betrayal, Peter Pettigrew found Sirius and challenged him, and Sirius killed him, leaving only a finger behind.

"Recent events have brought new evidence to light, which I hope you will accept as faithfully as you have accepted the truth of Voldemort's return. Before their death, James and Lily switched Secret-Keepers. Neither their friends nor I had any knowledge of this change. They put their trust not in the hands of Sirius, but in Peter Pettigrew's."

There were gasps all around, whispers. Tonks eyes were wide.

"When Sirius learned of Peter's betrayal, he tracked Peter down, but he escaped, killing all those innocent Muggles and cutting off his own finger. He is indeed still alive, to which both Remus Lupin and Harry Potter can testify."

Tonks's mind raced, disbelief evident on her face. That could only mean–

"I ask for your trust in the truth that Sirius Black is an innocent man, wrongly convicted. He has also offered his assistance to the Order, and this house, which is his family home. I also ask that you accept Sirius's presence, as he has every right to attend this meeting."

Everyone was muttering, whispering, as Dumbledore nodded back to Remus, who opened the door, and Sirius stepped in.

_Sirius._

She hadn't seen her cousin since she was little. She was only eight when Sirius had been sent to Azkaban. But she did remember him. He used to come over for dinner in the summers, because he was close to her mum. She had looked up to him like an older brother. She could still remember the day she walked into her parents' bedroom to find her mum sobbing her eyes out. Her mom had sat her down and explained that Sirius had done something terrible, and he would be in prison for the rest of his life.

It had definitely taken a toll on him. He was so thin, and his slightly shabby robes hung loosely on his frame. His black hair brushed his shoulders. He looked wary.

The other members around her didn't seem as upset or disbelieving as she would have supposed. They studied Sirius for a moment, then turned back to Dumbledore, satisfied.

All except Snape, who sneered at the sight of Sirius's face.

Tonks couldn't turn around, her gaze fixated on the cousin she had lost. She watched as he leaned over and muttered something in Lupin's ear, who chuckled. Sirius grinned wryly in return.

She wondered if she'd ever be able to regain a friendship with him.

Tonks turned back to the meeting.

* * *

"Have you graduated from harassing complete strangers in lifts to following them to secret resistance meetings?"

"No, actually, I just happen to have the talent and moral compass to get here myself," Tonks said as she turned around, grinning. The meeting had just ended, and while some people had left quickly, most were milling about, talking. She had stood to the side of the room, and was curiously studying an absolutely hideous painting of what appeared to be a person being disemboweled.

"Well, that's a ghastly image," Remus said mildly.

"Indeed," Tonks said. They stood quietly for a moment.

"I have to confess, I did not come over here for idle chatter," Remus said. She looked up at him in surprise. "I believe there's someone here who would like to speak with you."

She followed his gaze, and saw Sirius talking to Hagrid. "No, no I can't, I just–"

"Do you doubt his innocence?" Remus asked, his brow furrowed. Tonks scrambled to rectify her answer.

"No, it's just…it's been _years_, fourteen years since I've seen him. I've grown up hearing everyone around me curse him, and I got to a point where even I…I don't know."

Remus was quiet. "He really does want to speak with you."

Tonks ran her hands over her face, then sighed. "All right."

Remus caught Sirius's attention, and waved him over. Sirius made his way through the crowd, looking more serious than she ever remembered him.

Then her cousin–her cousin!–was standing in front of her. She barely noticed as Remus discreetly removed himself.

"Hi Tonks," Sirius said quietly.

"Sirius," she said, suddenly finding the floorboards very interesting.

"H–How's your mum?"

"I think she's doing well."

"That's wonderful."

And suddenly Tonks just couldn't take it anymore. This was her flesh-and-blood, dammit. She stepped forward and flung her arms around his neck, and then he was hugging her back, and they were both laughing.

* * *

**A/N**

It feels so good to be writing again, I can only hope to do the characters justice. I feel a bit better about this chapter. Thank you to Lady Viola Delesseps, for the absolutely beautiful review. I was tearing up.

Thank you, anyone who reads. It means a lot.


	3. Grimmauld Place

Remus and Sirius stood, arms crossed, staring pensively up at the apoplectic, screaming, spitting, fat woman in front of them.

"FILTH! ABOMINATIONS! DEFILING MY ANCESTRAL HOME!"

"You really can't remove it?" Sirius asked, his tone tinted with loathing and revulsion.

"MY POSSESSIONS DESECRATED BY THE SCUM MY RECREANT SON SO REVERES! WEREWOLVES! HALF-BREEDS! BLOOD TRAITORS, THE LOT OF THEM!"

Remus scratched the stubble that was forming on his chin, a frown on his face. "I've tried every spell I can think of, I tried to remove it with my bare hands, I even tried slashing it with a knife. Your dear mum really wanted to haunt you from the afterlife."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "I'm not sure if 'haunt' is the correct phrase. I'm more pissed off than anything else."

"I don't know what to tell you, mate," Remus exhaled. "I suppose all we can do is take down every portrait that doesn't have a Sticking Charm on it, leave the curtains up, and keep quiet. The other portraits haven't made a sound unless your mum incited it, and she's like a dog that won't move when it has a blanket over its head."

"Wonderful," Sirius growled. "Alright, then, let's get her quiet."

They stepped forward, and each grabbing a curtain, yanked them over Mrs. Black's swollen face.

Ears ringing in the now silent hallway, Lupin began to walk towards the kitchen, rubbing the back of his neck. He barely noticed as Sirius fell into step beside him.

"So you've really been living all alone in some ramshackle dump in Yorkshire?" Sirius asked.

Remus gave him a puzzled look. "Yes."

"Sounds depressing."

"It's my house, Sirius. And at this current moment, I don't think you're one to judge," Remus laughed, gesturing to the dilapidated walls around them.

"But Moony, I'm not alone here. There are Order members in here at all hours of the day and night. They stay for dinner, they stay the night in a guest bedroom."

"If you're worried about my loneliness, I assure you there's no cause for it. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, I've been doing so for years."

"You look like you haven't eaten in two weeks."

"And you need a haircut. What's your point, Padfoot?"

Sirius put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Move in here."

Remus was actually surprised. "What?"

"Move in here. It's more convenient for you, and more pleasant for me. I'm not allowed to do any real work. I'm dying around here with nothing to do."

"First of all, Sirius, this is not a matter of convenience due to the fact that I _am_ a wizard and I _can_ Apparate. I've been able to get to any place in Britain with one turn since I was seventeen. Secondly, you do all you can, and this is for your own safety. Thirdly–"

"Moony?"

"What?"

"Just shut up. Move in. Keep a caged dog company."

* * *

Remus set up camp in a dusty guest bedroom on the third floor. It still took him three hours to perform enough cleaning spells to make it habitable. Kreacher, the house's resident elf, wasn't helping any either. Every so often he'd pass by the door, spitting insults and slurs about werewolves. Remus had been trying to treat Kreacher with all the kindness and patience he could muster, but by the end of the day, he was on a short fuse, and likely to strangle the elf if he walked by his room again.

However, Kreacher appeared to have slunk away to his elfin lair by the time Remus made his way down to the kitchen for supper. Molly had moved her family into Headquarters the day before, probably inspired by the news of Remus moving in, and had taken her place as the sort of Order caretaker. She was enlisting her children in the effort to clean and 'decontaminate' the house.

Everyone was already in the kitchen by the time Remus walked in. He was barely through the door before he was greeted with shouts of "Professor Lupin!"

He smiled at the multiple heads of red hair staring at him. "Fred. George. Ron. Ginny." He caught sight of bushy brown hair behind Ron. "Hermione? When did you arrive?"

"I came along with Ron and his family. My mum and dad have been worried ever since the Tournament, so they gave permission."

Remus nodded in understanding and moved to sit with the adults at the end of the table, between Sirius and Emmeline Vance. Kingsley nodded to him as he sat down.

"Dumbledore's asked for periodic vigils outside the homes of known Death Eaters. Since we have no knowledge of where You-Know-Who may be hiding, we have to exhaust every possibility," Arthur was whispering.

"And at the same time exhaust our manpower," Emmeline muttered, stabbing her fork into her chicken. Remus had never seen her so frazzled. "We're spending everything on precautions, and when an attack actually happens, good people will die because we won't be there to protect them."

Remus placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know we're doing all we can. Our patrols are to keep these things from happening."

She dropped her head into her hands. "I know. And I know the patrols are our best chance. But I just feel so helpless."

"We all do," Arthur said comfortingly, "But we have to remind ourselves that as of now, we have the advantage. Voldemort's trying to lay low, keep quiet. He won't come out into the open like last time until he gets what he–"

"Arthur," Molly snapped. The adults looked up to see the children watching, craning their ears to hear what they were discussing.

"I've told you lot not to discuss Order business at the table."

"You're right Molly," Remus said. They fell quiet.

Ron spoke up tentatively, breaking the silence. "Er…um…Sirius?"

Sirius cleaned his throat and leaned forward. "Yes, Ron?"

"Does your house elf always sneak into people's rooms at night while they're sleeping?"

* * *

After dinner, Molly cleared the children out of the kitchen so the adults could talk. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny went calmly, but Fred and George protested loudly. Finally, after a shouting match, Molly got them out.

The mood wasn't exactly pleasant.

"Do any of you really think we can win?" Emmeline mumbled. "The odds are so far against us."

"The odds don't matter," Arthur said.

"Voldemort gets stronger and stronger every day."

"We have no choice. This is how it has to be."

"How can you say that?," she snapped. "There are so few of us, many of whom cannot fight. Dedalus and Elphias, they're getting on in years. I'm not exactly young myself. Molly has to think of her kids. If only Fudge hadn't silenced us, we'd have more people to help us. We could recruit more than the elderly and fringe Ministry opposers."

"Emmeline." Kinglsey said firmly. "We all made our choice. Fudge has too. But now is not the time to doubt. We have to rise to the challenge, and do whatever we can to protect innocent lives. That's it. Fudge will come to his senses eventually. Now," he said, turning to the others, "Patrols outside the Department start tomorrow night. Tonks is taking the first shift."

"Is that wise?" Remus asked. "Giving the first shift to our youngest and newest member?"

Kingsley's face hardened. "If you're questioning Tonk's ability or her mettle, I assure you that she is a witch of the highest quality, the Auror office's star pupil, and loyal to Dumbledore."

"I was not questioning her ability or her loyalty, but shouldn't we post a more experienced person for the first night?"

"She'll have to take a shift sooner or later, I see no reason to keep her from performing her duties."

"After all, Remus," Arthur said, "You were younger than her when you joined the first Order."

"You just have to give her a chance."

"You all are absolutely right. Forgive me," Remus relented.


	4. Accepted

It was three weeks after her first meeting when it happened.

Tonks had Apparated to Headquarters for the first time on her own to drop off a few Ministry files she had nicked the day before and charmed to look like old copies of Witch Weekly. She had made it in okay, unlocking the door as quietly as possible, but she was barely halfway down the hallway when she tripped.

She hadn't seen the hideous umbrella stand that looked like a troll's leg until she was already hitting the floor. The stand crashed down with her.

"Oh, Merlin," Tonks breathed, as the house exploded with screams and shrieks from the portraits on the walls, the loudest from an absolutely terrifying painting of her great aunt.

"MY ANCIENT HOUSE CONSUMED WITH THE FAMILIES OF BLOOD-TRAITORS AND HALF-BREEDS AND MUDBLOODS! AND YOU!" she screamed, catching sight of Tonk's sprawled form, "HALF-BLOOD WRETCH, BORN OF THE DISGRACE OF MY BROTHER!"

She continued screaming insults about Tonks's breeding as Tonks stood up slowly.

She heard quick footsteps above, and saw Remus come to the railing. "Tonks? What happened?" He didn't wait for an answer before he started to fly down the stairs.

Sirius's head popped out from the fourth-floor landing. "Bloody hell, what's going on?"

"Sirius, help me!" Remus shouted above the cacophony as he ran, passing Tonks. He grabbed the curtains around the frame and struggled to get them shut, but he couldn't by himself.

"I'm coming, Remus!" Sirius yelled.

Arthur and Molly Weasley appeared at the kitchen door. Arthur assessed the situation, and ran to help Remus. Together they forced the curtains shut, just as Sirius came to a stop next to Tonks.

"I-I'm so sorry, I tripped," Tonks whispered.

"It's all right, Tonks. No harm done." Sirius said.

Remus ran a hand through his graying hair. "Just be more careful. Please."

"Tonks, dear," Molly said, as she came up and placed a hand on Tonks's shoulder. "Why don't we go into the kitchen? I haven't introduced you to my children yet. They were just helping us clean out the kitchen cabinets before dinner."

"All right," Tonks said, following Molly. Still embarrassed and ashamed, she glanced back at Remus. He had already turned away.

* * *

"Ron, it was just a baby spider."

"I don't care!"

"You're being ridiculous."

"Someday you'll get bitten by a spider and I will dance on your grave."

"You'll die of fright first."

Tonks watched, highly interested, as the two redheads argued intensely. The boy's face was turning an interesting shade of fuschia.

"Ron! Ginny!" Molly shouted. "Stop bickering and set the table! Where are Fred and George?"

"They were up in their room. They've been experimenting again," Ron said.

Molly sighed, long-sufferingly. "Would you go and get them? It's about time for supper." She bustled over to the stove.

"I won't stay long, I just had a few files to drop off that Moody and Hestia asked for."

"Nonsense, dear. Stay for supper. You look a bit peaky."

"No, it's all right, Mrs. Weasley. I can't intrude."

"It's just Molly, dear, no need to stand on ceremony. And you're not intruding, we have plenty."

"All right. Would you like some help, Molly?" Tonks offered.

"If you would like, you could help Ginny set the table. Take the silverware, that doesn't break."

Tonks flushed slightly, but took the proffered silverware, and walked over to the table. She began carefully placing the silverware, willing her cursed limbs and fingers to behave for one evening.

Ginny looked up from where she was setting plates. "Your name's Tonks?"

Tonks nodded, dropping a fork. She swore under her breath.

"You look awfully young to be in the Order."

Tonks noticed the bitterness in her tone. "You want to be a member?"

"Of course. I want to fight."

"How old are you?"

Ginny set her jaw. "Fourteen." Her gaze drifted up to Tonks's short, pink waves. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two. Just finished Auror training last year."

Ginny looked impressed. "Is Auror training difficult?"

Tonks laughed. "Extremely. I almost didn't make it because I–" They were interrupted as the rest of the household piled through the kitchen door. The next few minutes were a whirl of talking, heavy dishes, and Molly's shouting.

Tonks found herself seated between Remus and Fred, with Ginny and her friend, Hermione, across from her.

As soon as she could, Ginny introduced Tonks to Hermione.

"Tonks. That's an unusual name," Hermione mused.

"It's my surname," Tonks grinned. "My dear mother decided to grace me at birth with the horrible name 'Nymphadora'. I changed it as soon as I could talk."

"Believe me, I understand," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "My real name's Ginevra."

"I would take that over Nymphadora any day."

"So, you're an Auror?" Hermione pressed.

"Yes."

"I've heard that that's one of the hardest careers to get into in the Wizarding world."

"Exceedingly," Remus said, cutting into the conversation. "They only take the best. Tonks is one of the few trainees they've accepted in the last decade." Tonks shot him a look. He looked elsewhere.

"So you had to have done very well in school to even be considered."

"Well, yes. I had to really work for it, though. I wasn't what teachers would call a 'model student'."

"Did you have low marks in your classes?"

"Erm, well, I did alright in most of my classes, though I had problems with Potions and Transfiguration, but the real reason I almost got rejected was my behavior outside the classroom."

Their conversation had attracted more attention with that statement, as Fred and George were now hanging onto her every word.

"So you were a troublemaker, Tonks?" George asked mischievously.

"You have to tell us what you did now," Fred added.

"There's no going back."

"Don't spare the gory details."

"We want to hear of each and every infraction."

Tonks was laughing. "All right, but first you have to guess which House I'm from."

"Gryffindor," Ginny guessed.

"Wrong."

"Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"No. Not at all."

"Well, you're not a Slytherin, or you wouldn't be here," Fred said.

"So tell us," George continued, "what a sweet and innocent Hufflepuff did that put a black spot on her record?"

"Boys, Hufflepuffs are not sweet and innocent. We just don't get caught."

"So what did you do?" Ginny exclaimed.

Tonks smiled around at her small, captive audience. "Well, this wasn't a one-time incident. I played a few more pranks than I should have while I was at Hogwarts, but I will tell you about the worst.

"It was my fifth year, and by that time I had already decided that I wan't going to try out for my House Quidditch team, no matter how much I enjoyed flying. I decided to enjoy the game from the spectator bench. Our team was doing well that year. We had managed to beat Slytherin, and the next game was against Gryffindor. They were defending champions, and McGonagall was in a fine sports spirit that year. She wasn't going to give up that trophy for anything. She and Professor Sprout were just icy to each other the entire month beforehand. Well, the day came, and despite all their efforts our team lost. McGonagall was flying high, and Sprout was livid, or as livid as the Head of Hufflepuff House can be. So naturally, my friends and I just had to capitalize on their moods.

"So that afternoon, we snuck into the kitchens, and coerced the House Elves into telling us which pitchers of pumpkin juice were going to be directly in front of McGonagall and Sprout–"

"Tonks, you didn't!" Hermione said reproachfully, as the others shouted in realization.

"–and we spiked their juice. McGonagall's with a Smiling Solution, and Sprout's with an Emnity Elixir."

"No!" Ginny gasped gleefully, as the twins and Ron howled with laughter.

"I've heard about this!" Ron exclaimed. "Charlie mentioned it to us, but I didn't know that was you!"

"Oh it was me all right. Dinner was absolute chaos. McGonagall was the funniest. She was giggling so hard her hat and spectacles fell off, and she finally drank enough of it that she stood up and started singing Odo the Hero to the entire Great Hall!"

Sirius, listening in, heard this and cracked up. Even Remus was trying to hide a smile.

"I almost regret doing what we did to Professor Sprout. We all just sat there and watched as her face got redder and redder, and finally she just exploded. She stood up on her chair and threw an entire dish of shepherd's pie against the wall, then started yelling insults at McGonagall, calling her a musty old cat and worse."

Remus was definitely chuckling. She could feel his sides shake next to her.

"Dumbledore intervened before she could throttle McGonagall and before McGonagall could start dancing, but the damage had been done. The entire school was laughing. They eventually questioned the House Elves and found out it was us. We had detention for the rest of the year and McGonagall never looked at me the same way again, but it was worth it."

"We have to up our game," George said, wiping a tear out of his eye. "That was brilliant."

"They let you in the Auror Academy after you did all that?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"At the end of the day they don't care so much about misdemeanors, as long as you have the talent and determination."

"And did you? Have the talent, I mean? I'm assuming you did, or you wouldn't have made it through."

"I almost didn't," Tonks admitted.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"I'm a menace to myself and society," Tonks said proudly. "I'm so clumsy. Too clumsy. I had to master _Reparo_ my second year, after I broke all of my quills and two cauldrons. So I wasn't exactly the stealthiest trainee, but I was a shoe-in for Concealment and Disguise."

"Why's that?" Ginny asked. "I thought you weren't very good at Transfiguration."

"I don't have to be," Tonks said. "Watch this."

She screwed up her face and concentrated, and was rewarded with gasps from around the table as the kids gazed at her now Weasley-red hair.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked.

"She's a Metamorphmagus," Hermione said impatiently. "Honestly, Ronald, don't you _read_?"

"She's right. I can change my appearance to anything, anyone."

"Can you do big eyes?"

"Freckles?"

"A pig nose?"

"Snape's face?"

"I can certainly try," Tonks grinned, and started to take requests.


	5. Insinuation and Revelation

"Moody said that you'll be leading the Advance Guard to get Harry."

Remus nodded in assent, resting his elbows on the railing. He and Sirius were watching Tonks and Ginny whisper conspiratorially down in the hallway. "Dumbledore thought that it would be better for Harry to first see a familiar face, before we bombard him with the exorbitant amount of volunteers."

"That's probably best," Sirius exhaled. "I only wish I could go too."

"Sirius, you know that's not possible," Remus said quietly. "And I wish you would understand that this is all for your own safety, so that Harry still has a godfather to come home to."

Sirius didn't respond, but Remus saw his lips press together until they were white. He decided to let the matter drop.

They noticed a distinct lack of whispering from downstairs, and peered over the railing. They watched as Tonks held up one finger, as if telling Ginny to wait, then pulled the silver clip out of her thick, magenta hair and in one swift motion, threw it at the kitchen door with all her strength. Remus stifled a laugh as her frock coat flared up and she almost lost her balance. The clip came close to touching the door, but then ricocheted back so fast that Tonks had to duck to avoid getting hit. Despite her inherent clumsiness, he was surprised to note that she had absolutely incredible reflexes.

Sirius let out a low whistle. "Impressive. How did she figure out Molly Charmed the door?"

Remus chuckled. "I have no idea."

"Did she volunteer for the Advance Guard?"

Remus nodded, watching Tonks talking animatedly with Ginny. "A couple days ago. I've put her in charge of getting rid of Harry's aunt and uncle."

Sirius fully gave Remus his attention now. "I thought you didn't trust her."

Remus ran a hand over his face. "It's not that I didn't trust her, I was just uncertain. Wariness clouded my judgement. I have come to understand that she is a very talented witch, and I retract my previous opinions."

"_'Retract my previous opinions,'_ you sound like a stuffy old professor, mate. Just admit that you were wrong," Sirius laughed.

"I was wrong." Remus said, shoving his hands into his pockets. Looking down.

Sirius's eyes flicked between Tonks and Remus. His face was struck with a sly grin of recognition. "You _fancy_ her." His grin widened. "You sly wolf, you fancy her!"

"I do not!" Remus said indignantly.

"Yes you do, you can't deny it."

"Yes, in fact, I can. Not only is the notion absolutely ridiculous, seeing as I barely know her, but I also happen to be at least ten years older than her."

Sirius scoffed. "And what does that matter, if you find her attractive?"

"Sirius, I honestly don't know how I've managed to stay friends with you all these years when every instinct in me begs me to strangle you."

"Am I right, then?"

"No. Not at all. I will admit she's very amusing, but I don't fancy her."

"Keep telling yourself that, mate."

"If you don't change the subject, I'm sure I can dig up some absolutely wonderful stories about your romantic endeavors at Hogwarts. I seem to recall–"

"All right, all right, don't get testy," Sirius grimaced. "You're on patrol with her tonight, aren't you? Tonks?"

"Till dawn, watching the Malfoy house."

"That should be cosy."

"I don't like what you're insinuating, Padfoot, and if you would like to keep your tongue inside your mouth and your dignity intact, I suggest that you stop your sudden matchmaking attempt."

Sirius bounced jovially on the balls of his feet. "It's not matchmaking if I'm just pointing out preexisting feelings."

"Sirius–"

"Have you told her yet?" he changed the subject.

"Told her what?"

"Don't play dumb, Remus. You know what I'm talking about. She's the only one in the Order, in this house, that doesn't know."

"What she doesn't know won't–"

"Remus!" Sirius said, louder than intended. He saw Tonks and Ginny look up, and pulled Remus away from the bannister. "Stop. This isn't fair to her, and it isn't fair to yourself. You can't keep her in the dark because you're afraid she'll think badly of you."

"I'm not afraid she'll think badly of me. I've dealt with this my entire life, I'm not _afraid_."

"But this is Tonks we're talking about. I can tell that you actually care about what she thinks, possibly insinuated romances aside. But _I_ think that she won't care. Tonks is a good person. She's not bigoted."

"And how do you know that? You hardly know her better than I do."

"I actually talk to her when she comes here."

"You can't know how she'll respond."

"It doesn't matter how she'll respond. What matters is that you give her your trust."

"She does not have to know."

"If she does find out on her own, she'll be offended that you didn't tell her yourself."

Remus rubbed his temples, exasperated and unwilling. "Fine. I'll tell her. But if she hexes me to oblivion, it's all going to come back to you."

Sirius grinned widely. "That's all I could ask."

* * *

They set up camp just outside the wrought-iron gates of Malfoy Manor, behind the hedge that ran alongside the driveway. They quickly set about to put up some preventative protection spells, and used a rather complicated little spell to make a section of the hedge transparent to their eyes, so they could see the Manor, and anyone who came up the roadway. After they had done every bit of wandwork they could, they settled down for a long, uneventful night, leaning against a nearby tree.

"Why are we even here?" Tonks asked, rummaging around in her knapsack. "It's not likely that You-Know-Who's just going to stroll up the lane. Lucius Malfoy's still trying to keep up appearances as a reformed citizen, and I don't think his Master would want to compromise that advantage."

"Yes, but we have to make sure that we know about any suspicious activity any of the known Death Eaters are participating in. While seemingly pointless, it's one of the only chances we have." Remus looked over at Tonks, but she practically had her head buried in her bag. "What are you doing?"

"Aha!" she exclaimed, pulling her head out and brandishing something in a wrapper. "I knew I had some in here. They were under the Ice Mice. Peppermint Toads are my absolute favorite."

"Are you…is that bag full of candy?"

Tonks nodded brightly as she bit the head off her toad. "Want something?" She held the bag out to him.

"No thank you," he declined politely.

"Come on, Remus. I know you have a sweet tooth."

"And how do you know that?" he smiled.

She crumpled her wrapper in her hands. "Sirius talks far too much for his own good. He told me the other day that you keep a stash of chocolate in your room."

"How in Merlin's name does he know that?" Remus asked in mock exasperation. He finally took a Chocolate Frog from Tonks's bag, murmuring his thanks.

"He said he likes to nick things from your stash when you're out of the house. Said it brings him joy knowing you can't stop him."

"Git," he grinned, biting into his frog. He glanced over at Tonks. "You know this is supposed to be a very serious mission, all very important, and we're eating candy."

"Well there's never not a good time for candy."

They sat together in companionable silence for a while. Remus slipped his Chocolate Frog card out of the package and examined it, brow furrowed. Tonks glanced over, and did a double take.

"Is that a Myron Wagtail card?" she asked interestedly.

"Is it?" he asked.

"Do you even know who that is?"

"No," he said, puzzled.

"That's the lead singer of The Weird Sisters. I've been looking for his card for forever."

"Here, take it," he said, holding it out to her. She took it gently.

"Thank you," she said, turning the card over in her hand. "They're my favorite band."

They were quiet again for a short while, in which time Tonks managed to ingest three more Peppermint Toads. Then she spoke up.

"So why do you have such a love for chocolate?"

"What, don't you like chocolate?"

"Oh, loads. Love it. But not exclusively. I do enjoy other sweets," she said, holding up her bag for emphasis. "And I don't keep a stash under my bed. So what kindled your love?"

Remus ignored her smirk and tapped his wand against his leg. "I've always had a fondness for chocolate, if I didn't it would be unnatural. But I joined the Order of the Phoenix right after Hogwarts, and I had a couple of nasty run-ins with Dementors. There were some memories I couldn't stand reliving, and after that I just turned to chocolate for comfort. I suppose my teenage mind just associated it with taking away the bad memories."

"So instead of alcohol, you use chocolate?" Tonks asked. She looked serious, but she cracked a small smile when she added, "That's taking 'chocoholic' to a whole new level."

The corner of Remus's mouth twitched.

Tonks grew solemn. "So what haunts you that much? What memories are that bad?"

This was his chance, but he didn't want to take it. Subjecting himself to disdain was not something he relished. "Nymphadora–"

"Forgive me if I overstepped my bounds, Remus, but don't–"

"Tonks, I–"

"–call me Nymphadora!"

"Tonks!" Remus snapped, and she started. He immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry, I'm very sorry. It's just…." Now or never. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked gently.

He looked down at his wand, fiddling with the point. "This isn't easy, and I hope you won't think any less of me afterwards, but I know that you probably will." He took a deep breath and looked down at his knees. "I'm a werewolf."

He glanced at her, noting her dropped jaw and racing eyes as she processed, and mentally braced himself for her disgust.

"No!" she exclaimed incredulously.

He wasn't expecting that. "Sorry, what?"

She inched closer and looked up into his face. "Why, you're so _mild-mannered_ for a werewolf! Now, if you were a _real_ werewolf, you'd have definitely tried to bite me by now."

"Are you…are you laughing at me?"

"_Remus_," Tonks stressed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Did you honestly think that I would care that you're a werewolf?"

"Yes, actually." He was shocked. Shocked that she took his revelation so…flippantly.

"Well I don't. And I don't understand how anyone could. You're fighting for the good guys, for Merlin's sake! You're a wonderful person who was in a terrible accident, and that shouldn't be held against you. And this doesn't change my opinion of you. We all have facets of ourselves that we keep hidden. You just happen to be worse off than the rest of us. There is absolutely no reason for me to think badly of you, Remus Lupin. You've been nothing but kind to me since I met you. Your illness means nothing to me. Nothing," she said emphatically, squeezing his shoulder.

Remus pressed his lips together. Inwardly, he was reeling. This was the first time someone had taken his secret so lightly. Even James and Sirius had taken some time to absorb, to understand. But Tonks hadn't even flinched.

"It actually explains a lot. Why you're so aloof around others, why you missed the last Order meeting, how you looked like Death Incarnate in the Ministry lift."

"I did not!" he contradicted.

She laughed. "You looked like you were going to pass out right there on the lift floor. I felt terrible for interrupting you, but I was running late," she chuckled, but then abruptly stopped.

"What is it?" he asked, watching her face fall.

"That's what you see whenever you're near a Dementor. You relive being bitten, don't you?"

He nodded.

She was quiet, twiddling with her thumbs, looking everywhere but at Remus. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft.

"I had to visit Azkaban once, as part of my training. They wanted me to see the criminals I'd be facing, or something like that. But I didn't get my Patronus up in time. It hit me like a brick wall. I never want to feel that again. Every bad memory I ever had, all the joy drained from every bit of my mind. It was the worst experience of my life; pure, unadulterated hell. But still, my life hasn't been all that bad. My reaction's tame. I can't imagine what it's like for you."

"It's not something I would wish on anyone else."

Silence.

"What bad memories did you relive, if your life hasn't been bad?"

"Haha, no. That's enough secret-spilling for one night, Remus Lupin."

* * *

Later, after Tonks had fallen asleep, using her coat as a pillow, Remus looked down at her magenta head and thought.

She was absolutely remarkable. She could literally laugh in the face of danger. She could be humorous and compassionate in the same sentence.

She was extraordinary.

And he did not fancy her.

* * *

**A/N**

I'm truly sorry that it's been so long since I've written. Inspiration just did not want to strike for this chapter. I've been listening to wizard rock (wrock) lately, trying to get into their heads. I downloaded literally four albums by The Remus Lupins, and I have no regrets, because it helped me a lot.

I've also been busy, I've been packing for college, which will make uploading harder, but I will devote any free time I have to writing this story, because I love it.

If you see any typos, do not be afraid to point them out, I usually proofread at about 3 am, and it's very inconvenient for my spelling.

Thank you to anyone who reviews, you bring me more joy than anything, just knowing that someone enjoys this story.


	6. Harry

The sixth of August was hell, absolute hell.

The heat in Tonks's flat when she woke up that morning was so stifling that her head spun. It didn't add to the headache that had been developing since the evening before.

She thought she was going to be able to enjoy a nice quiet evening at home. No Auror work, no Order missions, no responsibilities. But she had barely kicked her feet up onto the sofa before she was bombarded with owls. Five letters, all saying the same thing: Harry Potter was attacked by Dementors; report to Headquarters immediately.

And Headquarters was chaos. everyone had congregated in the kitchen, and Dumbledore was there. Owls were being sent, plans were being discussed, Sirius looked stressed, Molly looked livid. Tonks finally managed to grab Hestia Jones and ask her what was going on. She told her that Harry was alright for now, but if You-Know-Who had been so bold as to attack Harry in Little Whinging, he could attack again.

The attack was so sudden and unexpected after months of silence. It wreaked havoc and destroyed all their plans. They had planned to use the Advance Guard to fetch Harry from Privet Drive and take him to King's Cross, or maybe to Grimmauld Place the day before, but now they had to fetch him as soon as possible. The next day, in fact, which inconveniently coincided with the prescheduled evening meeting. Chaos.

So Tonks wasn't really surprised when she arrived the next evening, broomstick shouldered, to find that the chaos had spread to the front hall. The Advance Guard and the other members who had arrived for the meeting were running into each other in the hallway. Molly was shouting, trying to contain her children. Mrs. Black was screaming, but everyone seemed to have given up on quieting her.

"Is everyone here?" Moody was shouting. "IS EVERYONE HERE? Bloody idiots, can't shut up. TONKS?"

"Here, Mad-Eye," she called, amusedly watching his frustration from her place by the door.

"I think we're just waiting on Sturgis now…oh there he is. All right," Moody growled. "Remus?"

Remus stepped forward. "Here's how this is going to go. We'll be Apparating there. Harry's aunt and uncle should be out of the house–Nymphadora, please tell me you got rid of them."

She scoffed. "Of course. And don't call me Nymphadora."

He ignored her and continued. "Once we have Harry, we'll prepare to fly back, so I hope you all have your brooms. The rear guard is already set up, they'll be watching the skies, and will send us the signals for clear takeoff. Our main purpose is to get Harry here safely and expeditiously."

He picked up his bedraggled-looking broom. "Let's go."

They filtered out into the square, preparing to Disapparate. Tonks noticed Remus staring at her broom.

"Is that a broom or a Maypole?" he asked.

She caressed the ribbons and leather strips that adorned her broom handle. "Don't mock my baby."

He shook his head and walked towards the group. Grinning, she followed.

They Disapparated, and reappeared on the quiet street outside Harry's house. Swiftly they went one by one through the front door, depositing their brooms on the lawn.

She hadn't expected the Dursleys' house to be quite so dark. She didn't really blame Mad-Eye for swearing at her when she bumped into a decorative plate and smashed it.

"Dammit, Tonks, doesn't 'careful' mean anything to you?"

"Sorry!" she snapped, following Remus's form to the staircase. "It's not like I _choose_ to be a nuisance."

"Quiet, both of you!" Remus pointed his wand up at the first door on the landing. "_Alohomora_."

Nothing happened for a moment, but then a shadowy form darted out to the stairs.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out." Moody growled.

Tonks didn't understand how Moody could even see that Harry had a wand, magical eye or not. It was so bloody dark.

"Professor Moody?" a boy's voice asked. Harry's voice.

Tonks ignored Moody's reply. She was frustrated. The Boy Who Lived was right in front of her, and she couldn't even see him.

"It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away," Remus said reassuringly.

"P-Professor Lupin? Is that you?"

Tonks had had enough. They were wizards, for Merlin's sake. "Why are we all standing in the dark? _Lumos!_" Her wand flared up, illuminating the staircase. Harry blinked in the sudden light, taking in the crowd of people standing around him.

All Tonks could think was how ordinary he looked. An ordinary, fifteen-year-old boy. A frightened, tousle-haired, ordinary boy.

A slow grin spread across her face. "Oh, he looks just like I thought he would. Wotcher, Harry."

* * *

Tonks pushed back her chair and rubbed her eyes furiously. It had been a long day, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She dropped her head onto the table with a thunk.

"This evening was a disaster," she groaned.

"No it wasn't," Sirius contradicted. "You all got Harry back here safely, and Molly didn't have a panic attack."

"I didn't mean in general."

"What did you mean?" Bill Weasley asked, not bothering to look up from the parchments he was scribbling on.

"Oh, I don't know, the fact that I managed to make a complete arse of myself at every turn?"

"It wasn't that bad," Remus sighed, wrapping his hands around his mug of tea.

Tonks refused to believe them. She always looked like an absolute idiot. It had all started after the meeting. Meetings were getting more and more brutal, but at least this one had had purpose. She just wished she didn't have to see Snape's disgusting face.

She had followed the crowd out into the hallway, pretending she didn't see the flesh-colored string descending from above. She hung back as the group slowly filtered out the door, then had moved forward to help Remus and Molly magically locked the door.

She had barely turned around, and she knew. She felt her foot connect, and then she was flat on the floor, that damned umbrella stand upturned beside her.

"_Tonks!_" Molly had cried.

"I'm sorry!" she wailed, trying to stand up again. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over–"

Mrs. Black had started screaming, and the other portraits followed suit. She could only watch as Remus tried to close the curtains, and Molly Stunned the other portraits. Remus couldn't close them, but Sirius ran out, and after shouting insults at his mother, pulled the curtains shut.

Tonks cringed outwardly at the memories. But it hadn't ended there. She had gone on to spill a candle and set Bill's papers on fire, and then fell over herself in her efforts to help an unwilling Molly with dinner.

At least everything from there on wasn't her fault.

"I just wish Percy wasn't such a prat. I hate feeling guilty every time his name comes up in conversation and Molly freezes."

"Don't we all," Bill exhaled. He bit the tip of his quill in concentration.

"And the situation with Harry isn't helping things. Molly's going insane."

"I'm sure Mum can handle herself."

"Are we going to be seeing more of you around here now, Bill?"

"Oh, I dunno."

"Oh, right. You have your lady friend to keep you occupied."

"How do you even know about that?" Bill spluttered. "Merlin, Tonks."

"Sorry. I have my ways."

Bill shook his head and stood up. "I have to go. I need to get these charts back to Gringotts."

"Sure," Tonks scoffed. He rolled his eyes and left.

"I didn't know that you and Bill knew each other very well," Sirius remarked.

"Oh, yeah, but I knew Charlie better. Charlie was in my year at Hogwarts, and Bill was a couple of years above us. As soon as he became Prefect he was always on our backs about breaking rules. It's just my turn to torture him back."

The conversation lulled after that, each of the three staring down at their respective patch of rough table. The clock in the corner chimed the hour. Soon Sirius excused himself to feed Buckbeak.

Tonks felt herself nodding off when Remus finally spoke. "Don't you need to be getting home, Tonks?"

She yawned again. "Probably. I have to be at work early."

"I do agree with you." Tonks looked confused. "About earlier. The incident with Harry after dinner was…regrettable. I don't like playing mediator, especially when it's between Molly and Sirius."

"Do they fight about Harry often?" she asked sympathetically. He nodded.

"Often I get caught between them. They both mean well, but Molly can be overprotective, and Sirius can be reckless."

"I wish I could help," Tonks looked worryingly at Remus. There were deep, dark circles under his eyes, and his hands were shaking at the cuffs of his jumper. She knew the full moon was soon. It was so unfair that he should have to deal with all the added stress on top of his infliction.

"It's all right, but thank you." He sipped his tea.

Tonks yawned one more time and pushed her chair back. "I probably should be going. I probably won't be back for another week; Dumbledore hasn't scheduled me for any shifts. 'Night."

"Good-night."

She walked to the door somewhat unsteadily. She only hoped she could Apparate home in one piece.

"Tonks?" Remus called.

She turned around. "Yes?"

He smiled tiredly. "Pink's a good color on you."

She touched a hand to her hair, and left quickly before she could blush.

* * *

**A/N**

Some dialogue in this chapter was taken directly from chapters 3 and 4 of The Order of the Phoenix.

I don't want to beg for reviews, but I would appreciate any feedback.

Thank you for reading.


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